With aerification now complete, the Greens team begins to focus our efforts on a variety of other tasks through the fall. Finishing up the 2020 season strong, while looking towards 2021, will be our focus.

Tee Deck Improvements

A few of the tee decks on the course are no longer level. This is important for playability and stance while hitting, but also for proper surface drainage and turf health. This project has been on our radar for a few seasons, with an opportunity to complete it this fall.

To repair these areas contractors will remove the sod from the tees. It is unlikely that the removed turf can be reused. The affected tees will then be laser graded within a 1% slope to ensure proper surface runoff and new sod will be installed on top. We will be completing a total of 12 tee decks with this process.

This project will be completed either late this month or in early November to ensure adequate time for turf rooting, so that the tees will be ready for opening day 2021. Although there will be no direct impact to play, it will involve the alteration of some marker setup locations from the start of the project and for the remainder of the season.

Asphalt Repair

We will also be utilizing contractors to complete some asphalt repair before the winter arrives. Some of these areas, much like the tees, are a result of settling after construction; however, some are due to river flooding, tree roots pushing up paths and general degradation and use over time.

Once the asphalt is removed, additional material will be added where necessary to increase support and stability for the future. New asphalt will then be installed to alleviate the risk from damage to turf equipment with uneven paths and terrain.

In-House Projects

Prior to the onset of winter, the greens department staff will be busy preparing the turf for dormancy and also improving the course for future seasons.

We will be adding some additional curbing and using Traqmatz (a product used in the past) to help with vehicle traffic and promoting turf health. This product helps to mitigate the compaction caused by cart and turf maintenance equipment traffic.

We will also be rebuilding a few bunker lip edges that have experienced a buildup of sand since construction in 2016, helping to extend the life of the work previously completed. This buildup occurs from shots being played out of the bunker and sand splashing into the turf. After the turf is removed, we will eliminate the sand buildup prior to installing new sod.

Finally, late fall and through the winter are the optimal times to complete tree pruning and removal. We will begin in November and continue until the work is completed. Pruning for tree health and course playability, while also removing dead trees for safety, is a vital component of our tree management program.